[Closed] Winters coming;all inclusive rugby thread.

Cuthbert has been dire IMO!!

cole a bit iffy today as was jones yesterday which is a concern.

Tom B - Member
Cuthbert has been dire IMO!!

Cole and Adam? Well, hard to call either for their work in the tight on those terrible pitches.

Cole, however, was lucky to keep his foot on after Healy's nasty, nasty hit.

Come on let's have some more outrageous Lions teams! Calling a_a...

Tom B - Member
Come on let's have some more outrageous Lions teams! Calling a_a...

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Hello, cheeky!

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I was just a little sick.

There is photographic evidence for the location of the spray tan supply that was stolen from essex

Cuthbert has been dire IMO!!

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1. Corbisiero if fit
2. Best
3. Cole
4. Ryan
5. Lawes
6. R. Jones
7. Robshaw
8. Beattie
9. Young's
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Tuilagi
13. BOD cpt
14. North
15. 1/2pPOSTED 1 HOUR AGO #
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theres a lot wrong with this selection but even as a one eyed welshman i doubt Gogzilla could cover both wings. As for ashton i was sure i saw Keet Earls skip past him down the wing twice today. But i wasnt watching intently due to a demanding 2 year old. Cuthbert is better than Ashton but both are weak defensively imo and so is visser. I was suprised to see Hartley appear to get the better of Cole too. Hartley got no change from Adam but Adam offers less around the park than Dank Hole. Anyway my 15

Hogg
1/2p
Bod
Roberts
North
Sexton
Phillips
Healey
Best
Dank Hole
Grey
Parling
Ryan Jones (Lydiate if fit etc)
Tipuric
Beattie

As for ashton i was sure i saw Keet Earls skip past him down the wing twice today.

You did. Earls did him for pace. Twice.

At 9 for the lions
Youngs
Laidlaw......very impressed with him yesterday at murrayfield

At 10
Farell
Sexton

Centres
36
BoD

Thought earls looked good today

Oops didn't realise North was in twice....Ashton should have been at 14 😳 😯 runs for cover

Thought BOD was tired today.
Whatever he told Kidney, he won't have had a proper kip last night and would definitely have used up today's dose of adrenaline in the morning. He looked out on his feet.
He'd never back down, but it was up to the manager to make that hard decision for him and give him the day off. Keet should have started. It's not like he's the captain anymore anyway. Still the greatest though, and no blame on him. Happy day anyway.

Second row is a tough one to pick for me. Will Brad Davies be fit? I like Grey but he seems to either be excellent or totally anonymous. I think that D Ryan is very under rated for the Irish.

That's a funny selection a_a. Aimed at the England fans no doubt!
I do wonder what gatland will do, needless to say that there's no way 6 welsh players deserve to be lions on current evidence.

Jamie Roberts isn't worthy of a starting place on current form.

AW Jones will be an option too.

Agreed, he looked good yesterday.

Roberts. &BoD 2009 not 2013

I was trying to think of players who played and started for there countries. If England prefer Barrit to Tuilagi or Launcbury to Lawes its hard to pick them. Roberts was pretty good v France I thought 12 trees is the only other viable option who played and I'd rather have roberts. 12 trees didnt do so much today so a good performance against scotland doesnt make a lion. Also despite the england captain looking good in a dominant pack I wonder how he would go v aus, he wasnt great against Hooper in the autumn and Hooper isnt as good as Pocock. We need an outright 7 imo and Tips is just about the only one other than Warbs who is off form.

I see your point in a way, but picking a Lions team against Oz isnt the same as a home team for the 6 nations. There's always a few who are not in their country team for various reasons. Case in point this year could be S Armitage, or Nathan Hines. So ignoring Tuilagi on his way back from injury seems a bit unrealistic. Reckon Denton's still in with a shout too, despite not being favoured by Scot Johnson.
Works the other way too. Heaslip's definitely playing himself out of contention, no matter what his national coach seems to think. Went missing today and let them down badly, IMO.

Andrew Sheridan is playing pretty well from what I hear. He'd be an interesting inclusion.

Given when the Lions team leave and the French season ends I'm pretty sure the Toulon players wont be picked.

Sheridan scares the Aussies. No idea why, as he's rubbish, but he scares them.

I have to say that I regard robshaw as every inch a proper 7 (and so do most now), But if gatland doesn't, then that's all that matters really.
I'm going to be controversial now, and many will disagree. BOD, whilst still capable of excellence as you would expect from such a fine player looks a lot slower and also smaller than when he was at his best. He is also starting to break a bit often. I agree with a_a about 36. He's not done enough yet to warrant a place. I reckon we'll see him and Manu starting in a fortnight. With roberts not at his best, the centres are going to be a headache.

The Lions best hope is a ****ing big angry pack and a 10 who kicks well and some backs who can tackle. Roberts even off form is an excellent defensive player as is BOD. 10 and 12 are an issue if we want to be creative. And if we are going to have a big angry pack we might as well have a big angry 9 too!

So Aa, rather predictably your Lions team is..... Wales?

I'd rather cancel my sky subscription.

Interesting wrecker...I agree about Robshaw. I was sceptical last year, but I think that taking on the captaincy as well as essentially his first starts was a big ask. He seems to be really growing into the 7 role and is giving very few penalties away which is good. I can't see 36 and Tuilagi v France myself...Lancaster seems very keen on Barritt. He is obviously there in a mainly defensive role and you can't fault the job that he's doing.

Is Robshaw growing into the role or is he a flanker getting an armchair ride from his front five. Its always very hard to tell.

Wasn't he the top tackler yesterday? He was at 1/2 time.

Centres are an issue BOD still prob the pick of the bunch, and i think Manu would get a lot out of a series playing next to BOD. Hogg has played 13 quite a bit for Glasgow but he is probably better at 15.

I also think North has the skills and creativity to be a very good centre, however he is the pick of the wingers at present. I would have liked North and Zebo for the Lions but Zebo is out for 10 weeks so unlikely to go now. Given defencive failings with the other options will go with Visser simply as i think he is the best finisher of the others. Alternatively 1/2p on the wing and Hogg at 15

Not sure about the props either

1/2p
Visser
BOD
Manu
North
Sexton
Youngs

Beattie
Tipuric
R Jones (if he keeps playing like Saturday)
Hines
D Ryan
3
Best
1

Not sure D Ryan brings much other than an angry face. What about a whole squad

Hogg
1/2p
Brown

North
Visser
Cuthbert/Maitland

Roberts
Bod
12 trees
Tuilagi

Sexton
Farrel
Flood

Phillips
Youngs
A N Other Care maybe

Healey
Grant
Cole
Adam

Best
Youngs
Token Scot (or hartley)

Grey
Parling
Launcbury
Lawes

Ryan Jones
Wood
(Lydiate and Ferris could replace both if fit)
The England captain
Tipuric

Beatie
Faletau

(Lydiate and Ferris could replace both if fit)

Other than that, not much to argue with there, although Lions selection can be a little more left-field than just picking the best performing internationals can it not?
There's usually a few surprises in there.

Is Hogg really worth considering when you've got 1/2p, Goode, Kearney, Foden, or even Liam Williams? Does he bring anything that they don't or is he just the token Scot.

And Phillips at 9? Wales have only started attacking at pace in the last 2 games after he has gone off. Coincidence or the opposition being worn out?

The Welsh players in France look off the pace and complacent to me. And Gethin looks fat.

No need to have props covering both sides with 8 man benches.
Gethin was better v france so may get to go yet.
Kearney has been poor and I think Goode hasnt been great. Brown looks like a good fullback playing wing to me. Liam Williams is crap. Foden would be my choice but he aint playing. Often they take a utility back so Hook may make the cut.

1. Dunno, Corbisero seems to be getting picked on one game, it's the Aussies, Scrum could really do with speed and mobility, I don't think he will suit the fast pitches. Pity Sheridan won't be there
2. Best (best all round game,throw in better than Hartley or Ford)
3. Cole (as a certain Irishman will not be playing for the next 6 weeks)
4. Launchbury ( provide the dog for show pony below)
5. Grey (big and quick/hard pitches;methinks he will like oz)
6. R. Jones ( genius with the experience to match)
7. Robshaw ( a real leader and had a couple of realy good games)
8. Beattie* (cos his dad went 😀 lightening quick and clever with it
9. Young's (just the best out of a very ordinary group of home 9's)
10. Sexton (see above,still shades Farrel)
11. North (LARGE FAST HEAVY OBJECT 1)
12. Tuilagi (LARGE FAST HEAVY OBJECT 2)
13. BOD cpt (The rapier to the above)
14. Visser (Best finisher availiable,can't tackle,but with ball and space behind that pack he would be deadly)
15. Kearney (good defesively and safe as houses,would also help look after McVisser)

Beattie considered as he has a release clause,otherwise no French based players.

Sexton isn't as mentally strong as Farrell - Lions need that mentality. I don't get the calls for BOD - talisman, yes. But old and fragile on hard pitches? And what happens to the team when you're talisman goes off injured / early - heads can go down.

Why no Lawes - big strong and makes a massive statement on the pitch IMO. He should be there.

Good shout that Duckman....Corbs isn't being mentioned on one game though...he has been excellent in most of his recent games for England. He's missed an awful lot of international rugby in the last 6 months though.

Also isn't Healy a loosehead?

I think there will be a lot of current form versus reputation/experience debates this time round. Quite a few underperforming big names already in 6N and others letting their play and current form do the talking.

I was relieved as an Englishman, that some of Ireland's big names/Lions shoe-ins did not have their best games on Sunday. Lots of different reasons for that, but many of England's marginals did the opposite on the day and pressed their own claims.

So the next three matches, its all to play for. No 1XV shoe-ins for me at the moment which should be good for the end team - as long as players are chosen on merit.

Corbs is knackered though isnt he like long term might not play again knackered. Kearney hasnt been great and his tackling is weak imo better options available. Visser would be a big risk v aus I think good defence out wide will be really important. Maitland looks good to me him or 1/2p on rightwing North on left. Lawes isnt in tbe england team so will struggle to make the lions. He certainly made a statement yesterday!!

Lee Mead has just retired from Rugby - heart condition. 🙁

Whereas Hartley has calmed down a bit, I always worry that Lawes is going to go too far and give penalties/yellow card away. But his an incredible athlete/enforcer when on top form.

Lee [s]Mead[/s]Mears has just retired from Rugby - heart condition.

So sad. A really top chap; came down to my club and coached a fair bit. Always bought holdalls full of Bath and England training kit for the lads too.

There are worries over his long term fitness, that said the Saints must be pretty confident that it isn't career over. He'll struggle to make it me thinks. Cole to LH and Jones at TH for the Lions? Gethin looks short of form and Healy is over rated for me. I guess Healy is actually in pole position though.

Edit. Very sad for Mears...does he part own the cafe/restaurant things with Stevens?